1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to die presses used with dies for forming paper cut out patters, and more particular to a roller-type die machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Die cuts are preformed pieces of paper or other die cuttable materials that are cut into a desired shape. For example, die cuts are often available in various shapes such as teddy bears, hearts, stars, etc. Multiple die cuts are usually packaged together for consumer purchase and may include die cuts formed from various colors of paper.
The die cuts are formed by pressing a blade, which has been formed into the desired shape, against a sheet of paper or any other cuttable material to cut or punch out a section of the paper or other material corresponding to the shape of the blade. Traditionally, the blade was partially embedded in a block of wood, the blade/block apparatus commonly referred to as a “die.” Later, systems for holding the blade in a block of plastic were developed such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,965, incorporated herein by this reference. Subsequently, other die making technologies have been developed such as dies manufactured by chemical etching processes.
With each type of die has generally come a new type of machine for pressing the die against the medium to be cut. For example, when the plastic dies previously discussed were first introduced, the corresponding machine employed a lever mechanism to impart sufficient pressure against the die so as to press the blade of the die through the paper to be cut. In general, such machines were relatively bulky. As the dies became thinner and thus more compact, more compact machines were also developed. In particular, with the use of chemical etched dies, a roller-type machine was developed in which the die and paper to be cut were pulled between a pair of rollers operated by a crank handle. The roller-type machines were generally more compact than the previous lever-type machines since they did not require the use of a platen that was at least the size of the die being used for cutting. A typical roller press is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/127,434, Publication No. US20050253324A1, herein incorporated by this reference.
Because of the large footprint of the lever-type systems, such machines did not typically require a mechanism for securing the machine to a work surface. Moreover, such machines maintained support of the die and medium being cut throughout the cutting process. Conversely, the smaller crank operated machines are less stable, given their relatively smaller footprint when operating the machine. As such, there is typically a need for a mechanism for holding the machine to a work surface. In addition, because the machines were made to be more compact, the machines do not laterally support for the die and medium during the cutting process.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a die cutting machine that is easy to operate, laterally supports the die and medium while cutting manufacture, and is easily secured to a work surface during operation.
These and other advantages will become apparent from a reading of the following summary of the invention and description of the preferred embodiments in accordance with the principles of the present invention.